No-go areas around sanctuaries by Feb 15

No-go areas around sanctuaries by Feb 15
Nitin Sethi TNN

New Delhi: The environment ministry has set February 15 as the deadline for states to finalize no-go areas for industry around the 600-plus national parks and sanctuaries. If the states fail to meet the deadline, the Centre will impose a 10-km stretch around these zones as eco-sensitive areas, where development projects would be completely banned and others restricted.

The ministry has acted after a flurry of activity in the Supreme Court, where a petition on the issue was filed. “Progress on this front has been far from satisfactory. Only few states have come forward with proposals...” the environment secretary has written to state governments adding, “the ministry of environment and forests is of the opinion that the state governments be given one last opportunity to submit site specific proposals… latest by February 15”.

I hope the State Governments properly identify the no-go areas and not just draw an arbitrary line around the existing eco-sensitive areas. Lets wait and watch for the progress on this issue. In many places the so called developmental activities like industries and mining are happening within a few meters of the forests, so the States are averse to issue a guideline.

10km stretch around the existing eco-sensitive areas is a reasonable limit and should have been implemented without waiting for each state to create one. If a country cannot protect even 4% of its landmass which is under forest areas and leave it unmolested, then what can it do?